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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22789105">The Suns Sincerity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KenjoCatze/pseuds/KenjoCatze'>KenjoCatze</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Don’t copy to another site, Sasuke just wants to have family, Sasukes probably gonna burn the world someday, Shinto, even if he doesnt want to admit it, gonna be going into my interpretations of the characters!, no beta we die like women</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:27:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,033</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22789105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KenjoCatze/pseuds/KenjoCatze</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke goes to the shrine of his family's worship, and suddenly he finds living family. But his great-grandaunt, the previous Supreme priestess, is nearing her death and she'd like for Sasuke to take over her duties at the Grand Shrine of Amaterasu. Unfortunately, things are never that straightforward when it comes to Sasuke.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Suns Sincerity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Three years after his family died-- after his family was <em>murdered</em>-- Sasuke snuck out the village using an old evacuation tunnel in the Uchiha lands. Hopefully, he'll be back before anyone can panic too much, he doesn't want a squad of shinobi sent after him just because he's the-- that. </p><p>Pushing a branch to the side, Sasuke slowly moves through the dense southern forest of Konoha's lands. As he goes, his backpack clunks a way that makes him wince as he erases the traces of his presence behind him. He looks around and feels for other chakra signatures every few minutes. It's dark, the dense canopy blocking the light from the sun, only scattering a few beams here and there as they penetrate down between leaves. </p><p>Day turns to night and Sasuke quickly climbs up and settles on one of the large branches of the First Hokage's forest. After a few minutes of searching, he breathes easier with relief, even as he pants in exhaustion. It's unlikely they're going to notice his absence in the next few days if they haven't already. He knew it was a bit of a gambit, as the higher-ranked Shinobi, no doubt where better at tracking than he was at covering or leaving false trails. </p><p>The last few months, Sasuke had determinately taken a weeks time where he'd slip away and stay inside, without letting himself be seen. At first, he'd gotten a visit from the Chunin in charge of him two days into his isolation. But the man had found Sasuke reading from the large collection of books from his family and went away with a small lecture for Sasuke to get some sun and remember to turn in his academy assignments. That a few days away most likely wouldn't affect his grades too much. </p><p>The next time Sasuke had hidden away, it had taken him just the same amount of time to react, but after then he'd gotten laxer. The last time Sasuke hid away for one and a half week before the Chunin came looking. </p><p>He'd missed more academy classes than he attended, but the Chunin had allowed it as he turned in his work after he came back. Not that Sasuke saw the academy as anything but useless, after the past few months it became clear that he was learning more away from the school bench. </p><p>Not that the books he read were about the high ranked shinobi arts. Before Sasuke could even set one foot out of the hospital, the village had already buried his clan and taken almost all of his possessions. For safekeeping as they said. They would be returned once he was a shinobi of notable rank. Sasuke filed painstaking complaints, and every time he met with the Hokage to get his clans jutsu, weapons, books, and so much <em>more </em>returned to him-- because they're rightfully <em>his--</em> he'd just get a condescending "We'll speak more about it when you're older." </p><p>Hurt rage had burned through Sasuke during the testing weeks as he truly discovered just how almost useless what had been left behind would be for avenging his clan. He'd been left with the rags of a once-great clan. And he was supposed to smile at the people who withheld the steel his family had once used to carve their way through countries. </p><p>Sasuke wakes with sunrise, rolls up his sleeping gear, takes in the position of the sun and crawls back down the tree to continue his journey south-west. Back to the old Uchiha lands where his ancestors lived long before the Warring States Era. </p><p>After a few hours of walking, Sasuke finally comes upon the road which will take him on the right path. </p><p>Two days later, courtesy of a couple of merchants letting him hitch a ride in their cart and shortening his travel time drastically, Sasuke stands before the gate to the Grand Shrine of Amaterasu. His family had been integral in its rise over the Ama-no-iwato, or the heavenly rock cave where Amaterasu hid. </p><p>Sasuke shifts his weight on his feet, feeling awkward as he stares at the few priests he can see moving around the shrine. Talking to others is difficult, especially when he doesn't know which reaction he'll elicit. He'd better mind his own business and ignore them. </p><p>The path up to the worship hall is long and with many buildings as well as guardian beasts who thrum with noticeable chakra. They feel like predators looking for weakness in all that pass them so that if Sasuke became their prey they would have an easy time taking him out. </p><p>Taking a breath to calm his nerves, Sasuke walks into the shrine as if he's been there many times before and attempts not to gawk too much at the shrine. Quickly tilting his head to hide his eyes, they dart around looking for the Temizuya. Finding it up by the second gate, Sasuke tries not to look as if he's rushing to get out of sight of the guardian beasts as he performs the cleansing ritual to the best of his abilities, having never done it before himself.  </p><p>Finally stepping into the worshipping hall and away from the dangerous and piercing gazes of the guardian beasts, Sasuke takes another breath. He adverts his gaze as priests glance at him as they go about their duties and worshippers looks over the lone boy. </p><p>Awkwardly, and with no idea how to go about it other than copying as others do, Sasuke makes a prayer to Amaterasu. He can almost imagine his parents standing with him, guiding him on how to go about worship as they should have. Tears prickle at his eyes as he concentrates trying to grasp the knowledge of how to conduct prayers, he'd read excessively to prepare himself, yet the norito slips from his mind as if he's grabbing for water. </p><p>He wasn't prepared for the feeling of loss that would come with travelling all the way here without his parents as was the Uchiha tradition whenever your child turned ten or unlocked the Sharingan. </p><p>Rubbing his sleeve against his eyes quickly, Sasuke turns and walks away. </p><p>He should have never come here. </p><p>What did Amaterasu even mean when his clan was dead anyway. Her blessings did nothing to stop his brot--<em> did nothing to stop Itachi </em>from slaughtering them all. </p><p>"Hey! Kid!" a voice suddenly calls out. <em>Please don't be me. </em>Sasuke thinks dully, casting a glance in the direction of the man dressed in priests robes who'd called before stepping up his pace just a tad. </p><p>He makes it as far as the guardian beasts when Sasuke startles at a sudden burst of chakra in front of him. His heart beating overtime. He reflexively lashes out, foot loaded with a cup of panicked chakra at the sudden ambush. His foot is blocked and grabbed. Sasuke twists, not caring if his ankle will twist out of place, kicking his other leg up. </p><p>"Ah! Kid!" the voice says quickly. Sasuke's other leg is also grabbed. "I'm not an enemy!" </p><p>Sasuke pauses just as he was about to dig his fingers into the man's eyes. It's the priest who'd called out before, staring wide-eyed at Sasuke's fingers hovering only a few centimetres from his dark eyes. </p><p>Sasuke is let go, "Uchiha-kun." the priest says lowly, giving a quick glance around and straightening his back. "Please come with me, we've been hoping you'd visit soon."</p><p>Not taking this at face value, Sasuke asks, "Why?" After all, other than some behaviour changes from Shisui's death, murder, suicide? <em>He</em> had acted perfectly normal <em>that morning. </em>Sasuke learned how people could hide malice in a way he'd never known before on that day. </p><p>"There is always an Uchiha from the main families at our shrine, it required to keep our connection to Amaterasu clean, Uchiha-kun. Homura-sama is growing older, soon she'll be a hundred and forty-six years," the man says and beckons Sasuke to follow him back to the shrine. He hesitates around his words. "... When we told her the news of your whole family, Amertarasu's flames almost burned down the whole temple in anger at the loss of so many of her kin."</p><p>Sasuke pales. His breath stops in his throat. He stops in place as if the First had been resurrected to wrap roots around his ankles. "Kin?" </p><p>"Yes." the priest says. "Allow me to escort you to her?" it's said gently. It sounds and feels pitying. </p><p>Sasuke twitches in annoyance at the tone. He grunts in affirmation, the throbbing of his heart too loud in his ears to use his words. The priest leads him through the temple and outback, allowing Sasuke a look at the building which holds Amaterasu's shintai. The family books had said she manifests as a mirror. In a handwritten notebook by his grand cousin Izuna, there had been no mention of an Uchiha at the temple, though the man had written about how he thought Amaterasu manifests as a mirror to remind the Uchiha who peers at her earthly form that they are a human reflection of her. </p><p>Sasuke had quite liked that idea. </p><p>Eventually, after walking a small distance in the sacred forest, he leads Sasuke inside a temple building. Sasuke's heart is pounding in his chest as they reach the end of the hall. The priest quietly knocks on a door and slides it open. </p><p>A woman dressed in the red and white robes of the supreme priestess sits with her back turned at the end of the nightly sunlit room. She's sitting at a low desk, slowly writing on a price of paper with fine brushstrokes.  </p><p>"Homura-sama, I've brought a guest." the priest says lowly, beckoning Sasuke forwards with a small gesture. </p><p>His steps feel like he's wadding through sinking sand as he makes to stand at a respectful distance. His hands fidget at his sides so he quickly shoves them into his dirty shorts.</p><p>"Oh?" The Supreme priestess says, sounding coy as she turns to look. </p><p>Sasuke's breath stops short of his throat when he sees her, she looks like his <em>mother</em>. Though her hair is lighter, a shade more reddish-brown than the black hair his mother had, and her face is just a bit narrower. Other than that, her eyes, nose, lips, ears-- they're the same as Sasuke sees in pictures and his dreams. And in the mirror. </p><p>She looks older than his mother who'd been in her thirties, but he supposes she would. Being a hundred and forty years old. </p><p>Sasuke has always known that Shinobi could live longer than civilians, they could outlive them by a hundred years, but he'd never met anyone over ninety himself. Since the formation of villages, life expectancy has raised but because of the constant wars, most shinobi's life expectancies are maybe twenty years less than a civilians, at thirty to forty despite the fact they <em>could</em> live longer. But the ability to live longer doesn't help when someone cuts you down. His family had many years ahead of them before that day. Years which were cut away. </p><p>Yet here's a family member right before him. One Sasuke hadn't known about. One <em>he</em> hadn't known about.</p><p>As her mouth opens in surprise at the sight of him, Sasuke has the horrible thought, that because Sasuke travelled here Itachi will come following him. And when he discovers this surviving clan member who looks so like his mother and the angry boy Sasuke sees in the mirror, he'll cut her down. </p><p>Sasuke takes a step back, then another. "I'm very sorry for the disturbance, I'll be going now." he says politely with the last disrespectful step back before he bolts from the room. </p><p>"<em>Wait</em>!" the priest shouts after him, Sasuke feels the tug of someone grabbing his backpack but ignores it as he pulls away. He flings himself out the open entrance to the temple and into the path leading through the sacred forest. </p><p>He can't see before him, his vision blurring as he speeds down the beaten paths. Eventually he falls over on his elbows, having tripped over a root grown out of the path. Looking up, he realises he's taken the wrong turn, and has run deeper into the forest. The path continues on along a glistening lake. Pulling himself up, Sasuke steps into the trees and roughly sits down by the lake. The sand reaching up into the treeline creeps into his sandals. </p><p>Staring out over its shining teal surface, he squishes the heel of his hand against his bottom eyelid to stop the <em>damn crying. </em>It doesn't help and thick tears roll down his cheeks as his shoulders shake uncontrollably with his raging breath. </p><p>His shoulders don’t shake from the emotions that had overwhelmed him at the temple, rather his sobs quickly turn more frantic as he gets furious about the fact that he's crying and showing weakness. <em>He's an avenger</em>. He needs to be strong and infallible or Itachi will just use whatever weakness he shows to tear deeper into the hole he's cut in his heart. </p><p>Sasuke had always been the weak one, that's why Itachi was always the one father approved of. It was never Sasuke who's weak and played with cats at an age where Itachi was already a successful shinobi. Not when Itachi unlocked his Sharingan at six and Sasuke never has, and probably never will, because he keeps being <em>weak. </em></p><p>Going to the temple had been an act of weakness, a lapse of common sense. Sasuke should have been training to become stronger instead of reading books that will be useless against Itachi, and he’d been doing it for <em>months</em>. </p><p>Mindlessly grabbing a fistful of sand and dirt, Sasuke throws it out before him with fury. Fragments reach the water, but most of it just falls down on his toes. Grabbing another fistful he throws it, then a rock, and another. They plop down into the water noisily, splattering his toes with cold water. </p><p>
  <em>He doesn't care. </em>
</p><p>He furiously throws rocks and fistfuls of dirt and sand into the water, for several minutes, not caring that he's being plastered with more dirt than he already is. Slowly as he throws the tears dry up in his eyes. </p><p>A hand falls on his shoulder, Sasuke <em>jumps </em>in place with a yelp. He whirls around with his heart in his throat, stone in hand and ready to throw it. </p><p>It's <em>her. </em>His relative. </p><p><em>Uchiha Homura</em>. </p><p>Her arms cross as she stares down at him, he feels frozen beneath her gaze which morphs into a Sharingan and then further into a different shape. The tomoe whirls into eight points out from the centre, making the dark of her eyes look like black suns. "Do you think I could not defend myself against your whelp of a brother?" She snaps at him, voice sharp. She bends down to his eye level and continues softer. "You forget I am a hundred and forty-five, I was already an <em>old lady</em> when I fought in the clan wars."</p><p>"I--" Sasuke says stopping as she watches her eyes spin lazily. The only other person he'd seen a different kind of Sharingan on was <em>him. </em></p><p>Her head tilts and she taps at her right eyelid, "You've seen a Mangekyo Sharingan before? In your brother?" </p><p>"He's not my brother!" Sasuke bites out yet nods, it's the word Itachi had used for the evolution of the Sharingan. He doesn't ask, but he wonders who she killed. Which friend was disposable enough, yet loved enough to unlock it. </p><p>"I suppose it's to be expected…" she whispers, not intending for Sasuke to hear, as she straightens up. "Come back to the temple with me, we've got things to discuss," she says louder for him. </p><p>"What things?" Sasuke says stubbornly, caught between wanting to spend time with family and running for the hills in case Itachi caught wind of her. "I'm going back to Konoha, they'll notice I'm gone soon." </p><p>She quirks an eyebrow, a wry grin crossing her face, mischievous and calculating. "You snuck out of the village!" Her words are high and joyful as she claps her hands together. "You're more like your mother than I realized, I see I'm going to have to do this the hard way." Then as quick as a blink, she has him thrown over her shoulder and is leaping through the trees. </p><p>Sasuke dives his fingers into her back, hoping to hit somewhere painful enough for her to drop him as the scenery passes by faster than Sasuke can follow. She chuckles. "How nostalgic. You know, Sasuke-kun, I had to drag your mother like this too."</p><p>She stops suddenly, Sasuke slams into her back, leaving him breathless. </p><p>He's put down on the mat before her workplace. "Don't think about running again. Don't think I couldn't catch you within seconds." she says, turning her back to him. </p><p>"What do you want." Sasuke grinds out. Elated at getting to spend time with her, yet absolutely furious. </p><p>Homura takes a breath and looks at him as she searches her desk, pulling out papers and rifling through them. "First of all, you're my great grand-nephew and we have been waiting for you for a couple of years. I don't know what happened with Mikito before the slaughter of our clan, but she was supposed to bring you to us every few weeks from when you turned six. As the sibling of the future clan head, it would've been your duty to train to take over for me when I die."</p><p>Sasuke scowls. "I can't stay here learning <em>prayers</em>," he practically spits the word with distaste. "I have only one purpose in life, and that's to avenge my-- our clan."</p><p>Her hands still, face falling blank, "That <em>shouldn't</em> be your duty." she says. </p><p>Sasuke sneers, how dare she-- "I am not <em>weak</em>! I will kill him and avenge our clan! It's been my singular purpose since-" </p><p>"I never said you were weak!" Homura snaps at him, grabbing his shoulders roughly for a second before relaxing her grip. "I said it <em>shouldn't be your duty</em>, as in it <em>shouldn't all be on your shoulders. </em>He may be your brother by blood, but he was also a shinobi of the leaf and he killed her citizens, it should have been the duty of the damned <em>Hokage </em>to bring his head to you as an apology for <em>his</em> misstep in not training your brother right! You may be the Uchiha, but our clan bonded ourselves to the leaf. As much as I detested the compromises Madara made for peace, it does not change that your brother was of the leaf and that he killed your clan. The only one that needs to restore their <em>honour </em>is the leaf for failing your <em>clan, </em>of which you are now the head."</p><p>Sasuke stares at her as her shoulders shake with <em>rage</em>, he discovers. That's what her blank face hid. Still-- "The leaf can't kill <em>him--</em> <em>Itachi</em>-- Can only be defeated with a Sharingan!" He screams at her, willing her to understand why he can't bend to her will. Itachi had killed hundreds that night, many who were jounin. Their own parents. </p><p>Sasuke says it all to try and convince her why he can't stay. Yet it feels like he's trying to convince himself why he can't stay with her, his last remaining family. Because even as he denies it, he knows it's what he craves. He wants to <em>stay. </em>Or to bring her home with him. To no be alone anymore. </p><p>Homura shakes her head, "Did he tell you that?" she says scornfully, "These generations of shinobi may all be whelps with no understanding of their own potentials, but do you not think, that there would have been no clan wars if the Sharingan was that undefeatable? That we would not have rid ourselves of enemy clans like the Nara or Senju? The Sharingan does not make us <em>invincible</em>, it's a bloodline as any other. And Itachi does not have to die by your hand alone. Even an untrained civilian child could kill him if underestimated. Many great shinobi fell to desperate civilians in my time. My grandfather was killed by a four-year-old girl who'd seen the destruction and death we brought. She found out who our leader was and killed him, and because he'd seen her as no threat, he wasn't prepared to have his throat slit with a simple razor."</p><p>"Does that matter?“ Sasuke snaps back. "He will come for me and if I sit here and learn <em>useless</em> <em>prayers </em>and <em>traditions </em>and <em>rituals</em>, I will fail and everyone here will die for my <em>failure. </em>I don't <em>care </em>about <em>Amaterasu</em> she can rot for all I care! What I care about is being strong enough to avenge my clan-- my <em>family."</em></p><p>"The Supreme priestess is not just a title for the one closest to Amaterasu, Sasuke. I am this temples <em>protector</em>. Being the Supreme priest or training to be, is not all <em>prayers</em> and <em>rituals, </em>but strengthening your connection to Amaterasu though <em>power and will."</em> she pauses, taking a breath and begins again before he can blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. "And though your power and will you'll be recognized by her and she will unlock the hidden potential flowing with her blood in our veins." </p><p>Her eyes shift, turning into the red of her Mangekyo Sharingan. "Do you know how these eyes are achieved?" </p><p>"Through killing your best friend." Sasuke grits out. The idea seems horrific, Sasuke does not think he could kill someone that close to him. Not that he would ever have anyone that close to him. </p><p>But at the same time, he wonders if he could ever be desperate enough. </p><p>Homura blinks hard, stares at him with a gaze of disbelief. "The Sharingan is unlocked through emotions, the Mangekyo is no different. But you do not have to <em>kill </em>your closest friend to achieve it. The Mangekyo is unlocked through the trauma of seeing someone close to you die." she throws a hand out, "But you'd think with that requirement. We would've had hundreds of Uchiha running around flaunting the Mangekyo when I was young. We all lost family and friends almost daily during that time. Yet I only ever saw my brothers and a few others with the eyes. Amaterasu recognized their power and emotions as she did mine, as I slaughtered invaders intent on razing the temple to the ground. And we unlocked the Mangekyo."</p><p><em>Itachi had lied. </em>Sasuke thinks, watching the pattern in her eyes. Itachi wanted Sasuke to think that the only way to match him was to kill his best friend. As if Sasuke would ever get close to someone who'd only be a burden. <em>Someone who could die and he'd feel that pain again</em>. Itachi wanted Sasuke to become like <em>him</em>. </p><p>To kill someone close like Itachi murdered Shisui. </p><p>Some days he misses the brother Itachi once was, but all the while, Sasuke cannot help but wonder what was acting and what wasn't. Itachi wants Sasuke to suffer, that much is clear with his lies and his prompting for Sasuke to get strong enough to be a <em>challenge</em>. Faking loving him wouldn't be hard for a skilled shinobi, and it would only make the betrayal worse. </p><p>Homura leans towards him, and pulls him up against her. She's hugging him Sasuke realizes. "I think it was fate that you would come here, Sasuke. That Amaterasu guided you here to become my successor. But it is not just her, <em>I</em> want you to stay and become my successor, and I will teach you all I know about the Sharingan, our clan, how we fight and kill. I'll teach you about Amaterasu and the ways of our temple. And then in the end, once you have gained knowledge, power, and will, Amaterasu will unlock the hidden potential in your blood." She leans back, watching him with heavy dark eyes. </p><p>"Do you accept, Sasuke Uchiha, last of my kin?" </p><p>Sasuke takes a deep breath, well aware that his choice will shape his future. "I--" </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Homura: Listen Sasuke, this is the Leafs duty. Itachi was of the Leaf and those he killed were of the Leaf. They should deal with their own fuck ups and not put it onto some two-year-old. </p><p>Sasuke, hissing: NO! It's my duty, I'm the only one that can! Mine! </p><p>-</p><p>I don't know much about the Shinto religion so sorry for any mistakes! Feel free to correct me if anything I found on the internet is wrong! </p><p>As for the Mangkyo, I can only assume it's genes that determine if you can unlock it or not. Because during the warring clans Era the Uchiha would've been seeing friends and family die left and right, so if there wasn't anything genetic that enabled only some to unlock it, I call plot hole. Also, Homura believes that its Amaterasu's acknowledgement of an Uchiha that is required for the Mangekyo. Though maybe she's right, this is, after all, a fantasy world. </p><p>Also, Sasuke is like 11 here I think. </p><p>This fic was something COMPLETELY different when I began writing it, then my mind stepped to the left and now it's something else. Updates will be sporadic as I have many hobbies besides writing, that is if I ever update this.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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